There is no shortage of attention paid to quarterback play in the NFL.
While there are so many other players on the field who can also affect the outcome of a game, the quarterback’s ability to lead the offense is the single most important responsibility in the sport.
As a result, fans are usually focused on how starting quarterbacks on each team fare, and who deserves to get the nod when the season begins.
Sports betting enthusiasts and die-hard fans like the reliability of knowing who will be under center before Week 1, but certain franchises will use the exhibition season to make that determination.
We’ll take a look at three quarterback battles to watch during the summer months.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After the retirement of Tom Brady became official, the beginning of Tampa Bay’s search for their next quarterback commenced.
They seem content to allow former first-overall draft pick Baker Mayfield and former Bucs second-round selection Kyle Trask to duke it out. It’s going to be an intriguing competition to monitor.
Mayfield has much more of an NFL resume, but it seems clear that he’s not going to reach the heights projected for him when he came out of college.
Still, with a conservative game plan and a solid defense, Tampa Bay may be content to mimic the strategy that the Cleveland Browns used to a solid degree of success in 2020.
They could also see what they have in Trask, who would appear to have a higher ceiling and better rapport with the Bucs offensive players.
San Francisco 49ers
It’s hard to argue against the NFL being a pass-happy league. That’s why the spotlight will be on the 49ers coaching staff to see who out of the Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Trey Lance trio gets to start in Week 1.
Purdy had a meteoric rise to relevancy last season, as he filled in admirably when San Francisco’s other quarterbacks were injured during the season.
Of course, Purdy himself was dinged up in the NFC Championship, and it’s going to be a race to see whether he’s healthy enough to begin the year.
If Purdy can’t make it back in time, then the door opens widely for Darnold and Lance. The former has been talked up by San Francisco’s coaching staff, and the latter was the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the franchise.
Washington Commanders
There are many who feel that the Commanders are not far away from being a respectable team in the NFC. Washington has a strong roster from top to bottom but has not received the type of production at quarterback that they would’ve hoped.
The organization has consistently said that Sam Howell has the edge for the job heading into the season, but he’s a very young player without much elite pedigree. The alternative in Washington is Jacoby Brissett, who has been a capable reserve over the last few years.
Regardless of who starts for Washington in Week 1, it seems like this might be a revolving door for the team all season.
